MYA SPY

Am I lame for admitting this?: I have a coupon folder. I keep it in my car console and grab ’em as I need them. Another truth is that I seem to only use the ones for Bed Bath and Beyond (because they never expire) and I’m sure I have a hundred of them. I pass them out to other customers as we wait in the check out line. Buuuut other coupons that I appreciate receiving are free 8″x8″ books from Shutterfly. They usually expire before I get around to making one, but not this last time! This time Mya and I had a plan: Mya chose what play things were special to her, we staged them, and she photographed them to make an “I Spy” (or in her case, a “Mya Spy”) book. And I love it so.

Books

(more…)

Continue ReadingMYA SPY

CAMERON the EASTERN BLUEBIRD + COOL BIRD STUFF

Mya had bird camp last week, which means they made some bird crafts, listened to bird calls, read bird books, and sang bird songs… which– for all of you who know Mya just a little bit– couldn’t be more perfect for our outdoorsy girl. It seems Mya’s birdie obsession started even before her first birdday party! (Ahhhh– looking back at those pics, I canNOT believe how much my girls look alike!) So in the spirit of the bird, I must share some bird finds and a fun story with you guys…

birdstuff2

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

(more…)

Continue ReadingCAMERON the EASTERN BLUEBIRD + COOL BIRD STUFF

DIY PRAYER BEADS

It is a smidge bit ridiculous how much I love this little project. From watching Mya intricately color each wooden bead to holding the tangible finished product in my hand, it is something that I will always cherish. I’ve never prayed on a rosary or used any string of beads in prayer, but holding these in my hands somehow makes me feel more focused and connected to my thoughts and thanksgivings.

FI

(more…)

Continue ReadingDIY PRAYER BEADS

FATHERS’ DAY GIFT GUIDE

Derek’s headed to Colorado for a hiking trip with his brothers over Fathers’ Day weekend. I’m definitely happy that he’s finally able to get in some guy time– we all know he’s usually surrounded by us girls! But we will certainly miss him on his special day. I guess it’s buying us some time to get his gifts in order to celebrate after-the-fact. I threw together some fun guy finds to help with your Dad shopping. Some we have tried and tested. Some are current desires. And #3 is something we would never use, but it’s still cool.

GiftGuide

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

(more…)

Continue ReadingFATHERS’ DAY GIFT GUIDE

KID DECOR: GRAPHIC ACCENT WALLS

We’re spring cleaning over here. Mya loves cleaning and organizing (and I’m hoping this continues until… forever.) Her most recent job is going through all her little things in her room and deciding what she wants to donate. Sometimes she’ll come across something and says, “I don’t really like this anymore. Let’s give it to baby Leah.” So thoughtful– pawning off what she deems as junk to her lil’ sister. (Insert eye roll here.) But she seems genuinely thoughtful when she says it, so we’ll go with it!

As we’ve been spending our rainy days decluttering in the girls’ rooms, it got me thinking about what I would love to do in their rooms in five or so years. The girls’ rooms are considered “finished” for now and their rooms are some of my favorite spaces in our home. But if I didn’t have a budget, their whimsical, yet sophisticated spaces would look a lot differently. One of the elements that I looooove seeing in kids’ rooms is a bold and bright accent wall. If there’s any space in the home to apply something so graphic, I’d say this is the place to do it. And since my feminine side is rejoicing everyday with two little girls, I would definitely go with some large scale florals.

Bcollage

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

(more…)

Continue ReadingKID DECOR: GRAPHIC ACCENT WALLS

ICE CREAM THANK YOU’S (PLUS FREE PRINTABLES!)

Growing up, one thing that my Mom always had my brother and me do was write thank you’s. Initially, I thought it was a drag because there were soooo many to write after birthdays and Christmas. (I know, what a spoiled brat, right?!) But somewhere along the way I really liked the task because writing became therapeutic to me… and who loves getting snail mail?! The answer is everyone. When you open your mailbox and find something special in between the Aldi ad and the water bill, you most definitely smile.

I always want Mya to be grateful and aware of the thoughtfulness of each gesture and gift that comes her way. In an effort to achieve this, I have adopted my Mom’s thank you note philosophy. And thus far, Mya looooooves “making letters” for her special people. Last week, we made these simple and sweet ice cream thank you’s.

fi2

(more…)

Continue ReadingICE CREAM THANK YOU’S (PLUS FREE PRINTABLES!)

HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY!

Happy Mothers’ Day to all you Mamas! There are many days when our role is beyond exhausting and we need to take a beat to lock ourselves in the pantry to sneak some sweet snacks for fuel. But on this day, I hope it was somewhat relaxing and you are reminded of all the joyful times from being a Mom. Now prepare yourself for some sappiness. That’s right. It’s my day and I’ll be sappy if I want to!…

Day1

(more…)

Continue ReadingHAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY!

MOTHERS’ DAY GIFT GUIDE

Mothers’ Day is May 8th– less than a month away! Luckily for Derek and the girls, they don’t need to buy me any of these things. I’ll be happy if they make me something with their handprints and scribble on some paper. Because handmade gifts are seriously the best gifts. And because spoiler alert: I might’ve already bought some of these things for myself.

Guide

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

(more…)

Continue ReadingMOTHERS’ DAY GIFT GUIDE

DIY SEEK-N-FIND TUBE

Confession: Everytime I was in the Home Depot hardware aisle, I had always wanted a reason to buy this Everbilt clear container. I was quite sure there were endless possibilities for its uses, but it wasn’t until the other day that I finally realized why I desperately needed it: a seek-n-find tube! Every kid needs a seek-n-find tube and this plastic hardware container definitely ups the cool factor.

FI-final

(more…)

Continue ReadingDIY SEEK-N-FIND TUBE

EASTER GIFT IDEAS

We went to the mall Easter bunny today. Mya thinks that since you sit on the bunny’s lap like Santa, you need to tell him what you want for Easter. And she wants a nightstand. Oh how I love my practical girl. Derek and I each have a nightstand with a drawer and that’s what she wants because she “needs something to set things on and put thing in by [her] own bed.” She also prefers it to be dark blue with sparkles. Duly noted, Mya.

But since I’m guessing most other kids aren’t asking for a bedside table, I thought I’d throw together some fun kid gifts in case you wanted to add some last minute pizzaz to their baskets. (Since this post was published, some products have become unavailable. We have updated some alternative links to the pictures below.)

Collage

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

(more…)

Continue ReadingEASTER GIFT IDEAS

DIY KID ABSTRACT PAINTING

A couple weekends ago, Mya had a 102 degree temperature and a faucet for a nose. (You’re welcome for that visual.) The weather was beautiful– a whopping 60-something degrees in February– and we all needed to get out of the house… even if it was just the back patio. So Derek set up a pretty stellar paint station and Mya– in between blowing her nose– worked her magic. If you only do one craft with your kid this year, THIS should be it. I can’t tell you how warm my creative heart was watching Mya paint a large scale piece of art. It is most definitely one of my favorite things we’ve done together. We’ve painted a lot, but never at this scale. It was so much fun seeing Mya go all out and all in on something so big. She felt pretty special doing it. And she was so proud of the final product that she insisted it be hung in her room.

squeeze-ps

(more…)

Continue ReadingDIY KID ABSTRACT PAINTING

“COLOR YOUR HEART OUT!” VALENTINES

On Monday night, my Mama mind blipped and I thought Mya’s Valentines’ Day party was the next morning. Last year we used crayons to make valentines and it was inexpensive and fun. So I did what every other Mom-in-a-jam would do and got on pinterest, specifically searching for a crayon craft. Mya and I raced around the house gathering the needed supplies and I think they turned out pretty cute. And Mya is proud of them which is all that matters to me!

close

(more…)

Continue Reading“COLOR YOUR HEART OUT!” VALENTINES